June Newsletter

Our Impact 

A Note from Jennifer 

Renewal and growth initiate and encapsulate the momentum of spring, and our small but mighty Reading Foundation. All the positive energy as volunteers joins us again means we are back to normal, but a better normal. More families are spending time together, more children are discovering the wonder of a book because of us, and our wonderful volunteers. We welcome you back with all our hearts and thank you for making our work possible!

Jennifer W. Forster, Executive Director 

Activities Ahead: Where to find us in June

North Thurston Public Schools Meal Sites

• Seven Oaks Elementary - 1800 Seven Oaks Rd SE, Lacey, WA 98503
  • Friday June 11 & 25, 11:00am-1:00pm

Check out our website and follow us on Facebook to see our full calendar of activities.

Urgent Need for Book Donations

The Foundation needs gently used books for the coming summer months. Please donate gently-used books to our office, Monday-Friday, 9am to 3pm.

We also have suggestions available on our Wishlists:

• Barnes & Noble
• Amazon
• First Book
• Browser's Bookstore

Supporter Spotlight

Many thanks to the generous individuals, community businesses and organizations whose recent investment in literacy is helping families enjoy reading together every day so all children can reach their full potential: 

• Big thanks to our 2021 GiveBig supporters for raising $1,845!
• Heritage Bank
• Multicare Community Partnership Fund gives 1400+ Books for Kids
• Numerous gifts in memory of Shirley Elfbrandt
• WA Combined Fund Drive Charity Clip 

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Books by the Bay 2021 sponsorship opportunities are available now! Contact Amanda for details.

Monthly Giveaway:

June Surveys - chance to win a gift card! 

We'd love to hear from you about our services and the impact we've had on you, your family, and your community. Please take some time to fill out a few surveys, each with 6-8 short questions, so that we can better serve you. Each survey will enter you into a drawing to win a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card!!  

Survey links are available here: Parent Survey | PreK-2 Survey | 3-12 Survey 

Volunteer Connections

We are so lucky to have such incredible partners that work to support our mission of bringing the joy and promise of reading to all South Sound children. Volunteers donated 669 hours of their time in May. That's a gift worth $17,000!

• Volunteer drop-in hours and projects are back! It's been quite a while since we've opened our doors to volunteers and had a volunteer schedule similar to what we had pre-COVID. We're excited to announce that we're going back to the 2-day drop-in system and have added other volunteer opportunities. All interested volunteers should reach out to our Program Coordinator, Sarah Gage, at sgage@nthurston.k12.wa.us
• Boy Scouts dedicated their time and energy during Memorial Day Weekend. On May 29th, we had the generous help of the members from the Squaxin Chapter of the Order of the Arrow led by Lydia Desy. We greatly appreciate their hard-work.

Interested in volunteering? Connect with us here: https://www.southsoundreading.org/how-you-can-help/

Share Your Story! 

Have you or your children been impacted by the South Sound Reading Foundation's services? Maybe your little one is reading more thanks to our Bag O' Books program, or maybe you're reading more with your kiddo as part of our "Read 20 Minutes A Day!" message. However we've impacted you and your family, we'd love to hear it!

Everyone who submits a story will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card and mystery book bags! Participants can submit a recorded retelling of their story, or submit a short paragraph and picture. Stories, videos, and pictures can be emailed to read2me@nthurston.k12.wa.us, or they can be uploaded to this Jotform. 

Our AmeriCorps members are in the final months as team members at SSRF. We greatly appreciate their hard-work, dedication and adaptability throughout this year. Two of our service members are going to be coming to the end of their terms and moving on to new jobs or educational experiences!

Our Youth-In Service AmeriCorps member, BluKody Christensen, will be ending their term on July 1st. They are attending Central Washington University. We wish them the best in their future endeavors!

Secondly, we have a Washington Service Corps member, Chelsea Mancilla, that will be leaving on July 15th. They're going to have a relaxing break in Canon Beach, OR., before heading to their next job at the Sound View Camp and Recreation Center on the Key Peninsula.

Are you interested in gaining professional experience and helping the community? We have 2 openings for full-time, 10.5-month positions funded through our Washington Service Corps AmeriCorps program. Positions offer a $1,945.24 pre-tax monthly living allowance, health insurance, and child care assistance if qualified. Upon successful completion of service, you'll receive a $6,000+ education award.

21-22 Literacy Outreach And Engagement - Language Arts

21-22 Literacy Outreach and Engagement - STEM

Ways to help us celebrate all year!

• Save the date
  • June - Celebrate Summer Reading event
  • July/August - South Sound Reading Open House
  • September 17-18: Books by the Bay literary festival
• Host a book drive
• Donate books from our wish list

Visit our website and follow us on Facebook to learn more about our programs or request services!